Means or appliance for operating railway and tramway points, &amp;c.



No. 885,896. PATENTED NOV. 13, 1906.

I W. TAYLOR.

MEANS O'R APPLIANCE FOR OPERATING RAILWAY AND TRAMWAY POINTS, &0. APPLICATION FILED MAY10, 1906.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

THE NORRIS-PETERS 60., WASHINGTON. n

No. 835,896. PATENTED NOV. 1s, 1906. w. TAYLUR; MEANS 0R APPLIANCE FOR OPE-RATING RAILWAY AND TRAMWAY POINTS, 6w.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 10.1906.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

1-H NORRIS PETERS 00., wAsmuowN, n c.

PATENTED NOV. 13, 1906.

w. TAYLOR. MEANS OR APPLIANCE FOR OPERATING RAILWAY AND TRAMWAY POINTS, 6w.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 10,1906.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM TAYLOR'OF STAPLEFORD, ENGLAND.

MEANS 0R APPLIANCE FOR OPERATING RAILWAY AND TRAMWAY POlNTS, &c.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented NOV. 13, 1906.

Application filed May 10, 1906. Serial No. 316,103-

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WVILLIAM TAYLOR, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at Luther House, Stapleford, in the county of Nottingham, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means or Appliances for Operating Railway and Tramway Points and the Like; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact-description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

This my invention relates to an improved construction of shunting-lever or appliance for operating railway and tramway points, switches, and the like; and the object of my invention is to forma combination appliance for this purpose having three special objects, as follows:

The first object of my invention is to render it impossible for a train or the like to be derailed at the points or switches to which my shunting-lever is attached should they be left in a central position when the train is traveling toward the points, as the shuntinglever is so arranged that it is operated upon by the train or vehicle before it enters the points, and thereby goes right over, so as to leave the points closed on one side or the other. cannot be tampered with by leaving it in a central position.

The second object is for the purpose of enabling the shunting-lever to be thrown completely over by a train or the like passing through the points, thereby changing the said points from the position in which they were set before the passage of a train to the reverse position-for instance, if the points were closed they will remain open after such passage.

The third object is to enable the shuntinglever to be used where it is desirable that the points should generally remain automatically in a normal position should a train or the like be run or trailed backward through the points without fear of damage to the switches, although the points can be reversed when necessary by the pointsman holding over the handle which operates the lever controlling the points.

In order that my invention may be readily understood and more readily carried out and into effect, I will describe it fully by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which By this means the handle of the lever- Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved shunting-lever as constructed in accordance with my present invention. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same arrangement of shunting-lever. Fig. 3 is a plan of the same. Fig. 4 is a plan showing the application of the said shunting-lever to the points of a line of railway with the shunting device in between the rails. Fig. 5 is an elevation of a single incline-bearing described hereinafter. Fig. 6 is a plan of the same incline-bearing. Fig. 7 is a side elevation of a modified arrangement of tappet-lever described hereinafter. Fig. 8 is an end elevation of same arrangement of tappet-lever. Fig. 9 is a plan of the same.

Similar letters of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several figures.

For the purpose of my invention I have a hand-lever A, attached at its lower end below the floor-line to the rod B, which is carried at one end by the bearings C, bolted to a sleeper or the like, and at the other end by bearing D, bolted to the rail B. At this end it is fitted with a vertical arm E, the upper end of which is formed either with an inclined plane upon which rests and slides one end of the tappetlever F, also formed with an inclined plane and which is fulcrumed at one end F from the rail'R, and at the other end F projects above the upper-surface of the rail B when the hand-lever A is in its central position, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, or, as shown in Figs. 7, 8, and 9, with a slot in which slides a pin E attached to one end of a lever E, the the lower end of which is fixed to a shaft F, turning in the bearing D, bolted to the rail R. To the other end of shaft F the tappetlever F is fixed, having its upper end nearly on a level with the top of the rail R when the hand-lever A is in its central position.

At a suitable position in the hand-lever A, I attach a connecting-rod H by joint H and pin G, and the other end of this rod is attached by joint H and pin Gr to one arm K of the three-armed lever K K which is pivoted from the stud I, formed with a base I, bolted to the sleeper S. To the other end K I attach one end of the point-rod P by the joint P and pin P, the other end of this pointrod being attached to the tie-rod Q of the points in the usual manner. Hinged from the third arm of this lever K by joint K and pin G I have a rod L, upon the opposite end of which turns freely a roller-weight W, which is held in place by the collar L at one side and the washer L and pin L at the p the arrow X in Fig. 4, then the leading wheel in Fig. 3.)

of the locomotive or the like passing along the rails R U would first of all depress the tappet-lever F, and in so doing, by reason of the inclined plane at the end of same sliding on the inclined end of the vertical arm'E, or, in the modified arrangement shown in Figs. 7, 8, and 9,byreason of the pin E at the end of lever E, sliding in the slot at the end of the vertical arm E both these arrangements would cause the tappet-rod B to partially rotate in the bearings. The hand-lever A will thus commence to be thrown over to one side, and this movement will be transmitted by the connecting-rod H to the three-armed lever K K and thence by rod L to the rollerweight W, which will then commence to roll down to the bottom of the inclined bearing T to the position W. (Shown by dotted lines This action will pull over the point-rod P, and so fully open'the point-rails V V for the passage of the locomotive or the like. By this means it will be impossible for the switches or points to remain partially open during the passage of a vehicle traveling toward the points in the direction of the arrow X.

Again, to obtain my second object, supposing a locomotive, wagon, or other vehicle be moved backward through the closed points in the direction of the arrow Z in Fig. 4, the flanges of the locomotive-wheels will force the point-rails V away from the main rails R U, thus pulling the point-rod P, connected to the point-rails V V, inward toward the rails. This will thereby turn the three-armed lever K K and cause the rolling weight W to run up one side of the inclined bearing T and then down the other side to the bottom of the incline T to the position shown by dotted lines, by which means the points will be changed from the position in which they were set before the passage of a train or the like.

Finally, to attain my third object, supposinga locomotive or the like be moved backward through the points, I in this case cause the roller-weight to travel up and down a bearing with one incline only, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, by which means the rollerweight will be forced up the incline T during the passagethrough the points of the locomotive as described in the second case; but after the passage of same the weight will roll down the incline T again, and so bring the points to their normal position again.

In some cases I may place my improved shunting lever or device between the rails, as shown in Fig. 4, while the hand-lever and tappet remain outside the rails, as in the other arrangement. This is preferable in some cases, as being more compact and out of the way.

Having now described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a shunting-lever or switching appliance, the combination of a three-armed lever pivoted from a base-plate, a rod hinged to one arm thereof, a circular roller-weight turning'on the extremity of the said arm, a bearing having one or more inclined planes for the said weight to roll on, a controlling-handle attached by a connecting-rod to a secondarm, and a switch-rod attached to the third arm of the three-armed lever, substantially as described.

2. In a shunting-lever or switching appliance, the combination of a rolling weight, a bearing formed with one or more inclineu planes for the said weight to roll up and down thereon, a three-armed lever suitably pivoted to a base-plate, a rod carrying a roller-weight pivoted to one arm, a switch-rod connected to the second arm, and a controlling-handle connected to the third arm, substantially as described.

3. In a shunting-lever or switching appliance, the combination of a bearing having one or more inclined planes, a roller-weight rolling thereon, a three-armed lever pivoted from a base-plate, one arm of said lever pivoted to a rod carrying a roller-weight, a second arm connected to a switch-rod, and a third arm connected to a controlling-handle, substantially as described.

4. In a shunting-lever or switching appliance comprising a controlling-handle connected to one element of a three-armed lever pivoted from a base-plate, a switch-rod attached to a second element, a rod pivoted to a third element of the three-armed lever and carrying at its other end a roller-weight turning thereon, and an inclined bearing supporting the roller-weight, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM TAYLOR.

Witnesses:

H. WALKER HILL, FRANK A. DADY.

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